Send photos on your iPhone or iPad with Messages

Learn the different ways to share photos and videos through the Messages app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

You can send pictures and videos from your Photos library in two ways: starting in the Photos app, or starting in the Messages app.

How to share photos and videos from the Photos app

Open the Photos app.

Tap Select, then tap each photo or video that you want to share.

Tap the Share button , then tap Message. If you selected up to three items, they all appear in a new message; if you selected four or more items, the message contains an iCloud link.*

Add recipients in the To field, and add a comment if you’d like.

Tap the Send button .

* Your recipients will see one of the items you've shared, along with an iCloud link that they can tap to view the rest. Like individual photos, this link can be shared. If you’d like to send four or more items individually within the message, start in the Messages app using the steps below.

How to share photos and videos from the Messages app

Open the Messages app.

Tap a conversation, or tap the New Message button .

Tap the Photos button . If you don’t see the Photos button, tap the iMessage apps button to open the app drawer.

Tap each photo and video that you want to share. To see additional recent items, swipe left. As you select items, they're added to the message.

Add recipients in the To field if it’s a new message, and add a comment if you’d like.

Tap the Send button .

Other ways to share

When you tap the Share button in Photos, you can choose other ways of sharing, including Mail, AirDrop, and third-party apps.

Sharing Suggestions are great for remembering past events and easily sharing them for a limited time.

If you want to create a space for ongoing collaborative photo sharing, or you want to control who can see your shared photos, try Shared Albums.